Let’s get something important out of the way here really quickly.
Tyrese Halliburton is clearly a phenomenal player and will be sorely missed next season.
He played with great skill and no hesitation throughout the entire NBA playoffs and left it all on the court despite incurring a rather severe injury on a global stage in game seven of the NBA Finals.
There just can’t be enough said about his bravado and innate ability to close out games with clutch performances and now there’s definitely a void to be filled, as without his charismatic demeanor and totally fearless approach to the game, the Indiana Pacers are not full strength as they look to an off-season of clear uncertainty.
As depressing as it may be for the diehard blue and gold fans all over central Indiana to think about their favorite point guard being sidelined with a tough rehabilitative assignment ahead of him, take solace in the fact that this team even without Halliburton is indeed capable of surviving what will be a twelve to fifteen month stint less their star.
The only question that remains is what will the Pacer roster look like when they break training camp for the upcoming season.
That of course depends on how draft picks, free agents, and the returning bench players can jell with the starters to form a team that can compete in the wide open NBA Eastern Conference.
Clearly, there are a host of decisions to be made quicker than the Pacer brass had anticipated, but when it’s all said and done, it boils down to how they handle the point guard position and determine who will line up in the pivot each game.
While Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell are both capable they will need help running the show at the point. Signing Myles Turner seems logical but at what price and for how many years? With the recent signing of Tony Bradley and the extension of a contract offer to Isaiah Jackson, they have built a bit of a safety net of sorts, but it remains to be seen if Jackson can go full speed soon and contribute in the way he will clearly be needed.
Then there’s the question of a contract extension for Bennedict Mathurin. He’s a gifted yet rather inconsistent player and will have no problem drawing interest on the open market next year if the Pacers allow him to test such.
He, along with Obi Toppin, represents the real meat of the Pacer bench, and it’s no secret they both would prefer more money and minutes as well.
While this team is capable of holding things together until their talented floor general returns, it remains to see what Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard can piecemeal together quickly in terms of formatting a squad than can remain both relevant and competitive this fall.
With Pascal Siakam leading his aforementioned teammates, the Pacers definitely have enough firepower to remain a playoff team without Halliburton, but they’ll need bigger contributions from just about everyone they put on the court when the bell tolls in October. Maybe they aren’t a candidate to run it back to the NBA Finals, but they aren’t on the outside looking in either, and it would be both premature and foolish to write them off as a result of not being full strength.
Danny Bridges, who thinks Head Coach Rick Carlisle will again be the key for this team, can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
Danny Bridges is an award-winning journalist and a longtime sports columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder. He covers college, professional sports and especially all things IndyCar racing. He can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
